It cost them thousands of pounds to fix damage, said prosecutor Richard Bennett. Baldwin told householders they needed repairs on their tiles, chimney stacks and guttering, and his firm Imperial Roofline quickly set to work.

A 67-year-old woman - one of three victims from the same area - was overcharged and asked to write a blank cheque.

A disabled 76-year-old woman was cold-called at her home and falsely told her chimney urgently needed repair and a roof was in danger of leaking. She was shocked to find the state of her flat roof after the workmen left. When her daughter asked Baldwin for an itemised bill, he was so abusive, aggressive and threatening that she “feared reprisals” and told police.

Another customer, who also felt threatened by Baldwin, was left with a hole in her conservatory roof. She was told it needed to be replaced.

A chartered surveyor found repairs on the customers’ homes had not been carried out and work had been done poorly with inadequate preparation. Customers were not given notice of their right to cancel.

Ian Mullarkey, defending Baldwin, said people were not targeted as some of the victims approached the company and asked for quotes.

He said Baldwin did not operate a “fly-by-night operation”, but a long-standing business built on reputation and word of mouth over many years. He said the five victims were a small fraction of his trade, and Baldwin had “many more satisfied customers than dissatisfied ones”. Testimonials were provided.

Baldwin had a worsening medical condition and took a “supervisory function” relying on others to complete work, added Mr Mullarkey.

Judge Crowson accepted that the men did not prey on the elderly and vulnerable, and that Baldwin had been an honest trader.

He said Baldwin “let yourself down very badly” with these five customers between August 2010 and June 2012.

Baldwin, of Flint Walk, Hartlepool, was given a 10-month prison sentence suspended for a year with 200 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £3,033 compensation with £2,500 costs. He said as he left court hiding his face: “Take a photo of me getting in me Merc over here, mate.” He was later seen getting into a taxi.

Clish, of Ashfield Caravan Park, Dalton Piercy, Hartlepool, was involved for a shorter time with only two of the five customers. He was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for a year with 150 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £1,157 compensation.